The Rajasthan Royals (RR) will have momentum on their back when they take on the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 2 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Friday, May 29.
The Royals secured a convincing win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator, riding on the back of yet another Vaibhav Sooryavanshi masterclass. The 15-year-old scored 97 at a strike-rate of 334.48 to help his side reach 243 in the first innings. The bowlers later helped them win the game by 47 runs, with Jofra Archer leading the attack with three wickets.
RR will be looking to reach only their third IPL final. The Jaipur-based franchise last reached the showpiece game back in 2022, when they lost to their opponents from Friday.
Here is RR’s strongest predicted XI vs GT, Qualifier 2, IPL 2026:
Top Order: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (WK)
At the age of 15, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already established himself as RR’s most valuable batter. The left-handed batter is the current holder of the Orange Cap, with 680 runs from 15 matches, scoring at a ridiculous strike-rate of 242.85.
His opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, on the other hand, has scored 426 runs this season, but his individual scores have dwindled in the last few games. In his last six outings, the 24-year-old has scored just 120 runs at an average of 20.
Middle Order: Riyan Parag (C), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja
Similar to their opponents, RR’s excellent top-order has provided little to no opportunities for their middle-order to flourish and provide match-winning contributions. Captain Riyan Parag has blown hot and cold all season long, scoring 298 runs at an average of 24.83, whilst striking at 156.84. Donovan Ferreira, meanwhile, has been striking at close to 170, but has been shy of runs in recent outings.
Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja
RR’s bowling department is headed by England fast bowler Jofra Archer, who is enjoying his most fruitful season in the IPL. Following his three-wicket haul against the Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad, the right-arm pacer has registered 24 wickets, the third-highest this season.
Brijesh Sharma and Nandre Burger have been excellent support to Archer, with the duo taking 13 wickets each at very similar economy rates. Meanwhile, the spin pair of Ravindra Jadeja and Yash Raj Punja have 10 and nine wickets, respectively.
RR’s predicted playing XI vs GT in Qualifier 2, IPL 2026:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Riyan Parag (C), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja
Impact Player: Sushant Mishra/Shubham Dubey
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